Addictive Time-Waster...

I found a link to this game on Facebook, and it's quite addictive! I'm not fast enough to get in the top scores - yet! I think my highest score was 384. Anyway, go there and give it a try!

(I forgot to mention - the game uses British/Canadian spellings, which comes into play because one of the answers is "colour," not "color." I found that out the hard way.)

WFMW: Shutterfly

Today, over at Rocks in my Dryer, Shannon is hosting her weekly carnival of great household tips, Works for Me Wednesday. Usually more than 200 people participate, so you're bound to learn something useful!

My tip for today is for those of us who love to take pictures but never get them off the memory card or the computer. I recently discovered Shutterfly, and I love it! You just upload your photos, request the prints that you want, and they'll be sent to you in the mail! You don't have to go to any store and fight your way to the photo counter - and we've all done that at Wal-Mart, haven't we?

I have a few favorite features at Shutterfly:

1. I can upload prints and have them sent directly to out-of-town family. This way, they can get a little packet of pictures whenever I order prints, rather than waiting until I get around to mailing them myself!

2. We used Shutterfly for our Christmas picture cards this year, and I was very happy with how they turned out! The online program was really easy to use, too!

3. I haven't done this yet, but you can make a photo book from your pictures for any occasion. I'm planning to do one for Wendy's first year.

4. They're always running specials. Right now, my special offers are for up to 25% off an entire order, or 20% off of photo gifts.

I've tried Snapfish as well, and it offers many of the same services as Shutterfly. For me, Shutterfly has just been a bit easier to use. That's what works for me!

How I Spend My Days...

I've not been writing posts so far this week, because at any given moment I've been either a) wiping Wendy's snot-fountain of a nose, or b) checking out all the giveaways at Bloggy Giveaways. I'm hosting a giveaway for the first time, so I'm also entering the other contests for the first time - there's some great stuff available out there!

Hope you all are well, and that this round of sickness, aka "the plague," doesn't visit your house!

Giveaway #1

***CONTEST CLOSED***

I wanted my first giveaway to be something wonderful and handmade, that would make people say, "Oooh...she's talented." Ahem. However, Wendy has been sick, and I've been lazy, so nothing was made in time for day one of the giveaway. Stay tuned, though, as I have high hopes for later this week!

This giveaway is for three books by Deeanne Gist: The Measure of a Lady, A Bride Most Begrudging, and Courting Trouble. These are Christian fiction, and I'd classify them as light escape reading. The main characters in each story are amusing and not-so-perfect, and very easy to relate to. I enjoyed reading these books, and I think you will, too!

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada.

Please leave a single comment (duplicates will be deleted) on this post and a random winner will be drawn. Make sure to include e-mail address or other contact info with your comment!

I will close comments at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, February 1 and will announce the winner later that day.

Head over to Bloggy Giveaways for more great giveaways!

Linky Love...

It's hard to think when your head is full of snot, so today I'm just going to share some links with you. I enjoyed them, I think they're worthwhile, and I think you will, too!

An Iowa Mom - this video of momspeak is pretty funny. I don't say all of that stuff now, but I know it's in my future.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks! - this pie recipe has been on my to-do list for a couple of weeks. I was going to make it two weeks ago when we had company, but that was the day Evette died, and I just wasn't in a pie-making mood. Anyway, it looks great, and you should try it.

Snapshots of Life - my good friend, Tiffany, lost her precious daughter at birth last March. She has written a post of guidelines to help people help suffering friends and family - the do's and don't's of helping when someone is grieving. It was a good post for me to read, especially right now. (And I'm hoping I wasn't one of the ones who said something hurtful or stupid to Tiffany!)

Shakespeare Insult Kit - I copied this link awhile back from Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer. I'm hanging on to it, because I know it'll come in handy someday. And besides that, just looking at it makes me laugh, thou mewling milk-livered measle! (Shakespeare and alliteration - my AP English teacher would be so proud!)

Dropping 110 pounds transforms woman's life - While the title is kind of a no-brainer to me (duh - of course it transformed her life!!), this story gives me hope. There's no magic formula for weight loss and healthier living, unless it's like Nike's slogan - Just Do It. Diet and exercise. And it works...I'll have to give that a try...


And finally, I'll leave you with a video. I had seen part of it before, but not the whole thing. Whatever your age, you'll get to a part of this video that makes you flash back and be thirteen again, dancing in front of the television with your girlfriends...for me, unfortunately, it was the Vanilla Ice part...

Ick. A Day of Pre-Sickness.

You ever have a day like this?

You wake up with a nagging headache. You're cold.
Nothing sounds good for breakfast.
You trip over toys and/or cats on the way to the bathroom.
You're still cold. Still headachy.
You try to get something done, but it doesn't work, so you just give up.
You try to take a nap and can't sleep.
Still with the headache.
Then you notice the baby is being awfully quiet today.
Her cheeks look pink...too pink.
She's being really good...too good.

You feel her forehead and it's hot.

And then you realize that sickness is about to descend on your house.

I may be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But Wendy and I are both showing tell-tale signs of the-day-before-you-get-sick kind of feelings.

Good thing we've got Tylenol and Kleenex in the house.

Please tell me I'm not the only one...

It's 10:30 a.m. I sit in my rocking chair in the living room, my feet propped on the matching ottoman, my laptop in place. I look to the right and see toys, shoes, discarded clothing, the contents of the diaper bag that the girlie so thoughtfully emptied. I look in front of me and see a coffee table bearing two baskets of folded clothes waiting to be put away. I look to the left and see two ginormous piles of clean laundry waiting to be put on hangars & put away.

All of this stuff waiting to get done, yet here I sit. At least the woman in the photo is nicely dressed, and I bet she can smell dinner in the crockpot and a nicely scented candle burning on her freshly-polished coffee table. I sit here in my bathrobe and slippers, and it's 10:30 a.m.

Okay, enough with the confessions, now on to the ideas.

I have decided that I will establish a routine for Wendy and I. Being that I am a SAHM and Wendy is so far the only child, it's easy for us to just play it by ear - we get up when we wake up, we eat when we're hungry, we go to bed when we're tired. Wendy is plenty old enough now to have a real routine to her day. I am certainly old enough to have a real routine to MY day, too.

Without routine, life (at least in our house) sort of slips into a barely-keeping-up circus of laziness punctuated by frantic activity. That's not good for me, it's not good for James, and it's certainly not good for Wendy. It's kind of like trying to catch almost-set Jello that someone is pouring out of a bowl...you can keep up for awhile, but eventually some is going to spatter on the floor, and who's going to clean that up?

So here is my proposed routine for Wendy and I:

1. Momma up at 7 a.m., showered and dressed by 7:30 a.m., put load in washer
2. Wendy up at 7:45 a.m., cuddled and changed.
3. Family breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by brush-teeth-with-Daddy time.
4. Playtime for Wendy & Momma, switch laundry to dryer (8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.)
5. 10 a.m. - read books, change diaper, time for nap!
6. While Wendy naps Momma will (in order)
a. personal Bible study time
b. clean kitchen/start dishwasher
c. do necessary dinner prep
d. pick up toys
e. fold & put away laundry
f. check e-mail/ blog / facebook
7. Wendy up at 12:30 p.m., cuddle, change diaper
8. Family lunch at 1 p.m.
9. Playtime for Wendy & Momma (1:30-3:15 p.m.)
10. Put toys away
11. 3:30 p.m. - read books, cuddle, change diaper, time for nap!
12. While Wendy naps again, Momma will:
a. empty dishwasher
b. sweep/mop kitchen
c. straighten bathroom/bedroom
d. dust/vacuum as needed
e. start dinner, set table
13. Wendy up at 5:30 p.m.

After this point, James usually gets off at 6 p.m., so we should be able to have dinner at 6, clean-up at 6:30, and proceed from there for family time, Bible reading, budgeting/bill paying, etc.

So what do you think? What routines work for you? And please, tell me I'm not the only one who has trouble getting anything done without a routine!

Creating a Closet

Our house is tiny and old. By tiny, I mean tiny little square house, seriously lacking in square footage. By old, I mean that it was built in 1940 - otherwise known as The Time of No Closets. When our house was built, it had no closets. Someone along the way added two (count them - 2!) closets, adding strange angles into the bedrooms and approximately 8 feet of closet space. For a family of 3. Including a toddler. And a crafter. And a handyman. And 5 cats and a dog.

Of the two (count them - 2!) closets that we have in our house, I use the one in our bedroom, and James uses the one in Wendy's bedroom. And where are Wendy's clothes? Behind her bedroom door!

We've had these shelves for almost all of our married life. They're intended to be utility shelves, and they've lived above the washer and dryer in our various homes, holding dryer sheets, detergent, lightbulbs, and lint. In our current house, our "laundry room" doesn't have room for these shelves anyway, and Wendy's clothes needed somewhere to hang.

These shelves are hung into the studs in the wall, and the top one is about 3 feet above the bottom one. Because her clothes are so small, they fit quite well into this little space! The shelves are also handy storage for shoes or hats or giant stuffed animals.

Creating a closet works for me! For more great tips, check out Rocks in my Dryer!

Savory Stew for You!

For Christmas this year, I made a big spiral-sliced ham for the extended family. After the dinner was over, I put the hambone and leftover ham into a Ziploc bag and told it, "I don't know what I'm going to do with you, but I'm going to do something." It's true. I talk to my food sometimes.

I decided to make a split-pea soup. It just appealed to me, after many days of cold rainy grayness. When I went to Wal-Mart, they had no split peas. None. All I could find were lentils, but I decided to give it a try.

The results were pretty yummy. Very hearty, very savory, very filling, and very warming. I kept up with the ingredients as I was creating it, just so that I could share it on my blog!

Savory Ham & Lentil Stew

2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
1 hambone
1½ cups diced ham
3-14 oz. cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen diced onions
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes with celery, onion, & green pepper (undrained)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Add all ingredients to a large soup pot. Add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer for several hours, or transfer to a Crock Pot & cook on high for several hours. It will thicken as it cooks. I cooked mine pretty much all day, so it was very thick and yummy. (Recognize the bowl, Tiffany?)

And what's a stew without cornbread? This is my favorite way of making cornbread, but I can't really call it a "recipe. Basically, use two boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix, add a full-size can of cream-style corn, eggs, and enough milk to make it right. (I don't know the amount of milk. I know it's less than what's on the box, since you're adding the cream-style corn.) Bake as directed.

But the secret ingredient?

Butter. Real butter. Land 'o Lakes butter. A whole stick if you want really good cornbread, less if you have heart disease or want to live past, say, 40. Cut little bits of butter all over the top of your fresh-from-the-oven cornbread, and let it make little pools of golden sunshine all over the top of your delightful, slightly-sweet, very moist cornbread.

And yes, butter makes me poetic.

**UPDATE** The stew recipe freezes well! After I wrote this post, I had a hankering for some, so I pulled it out of the freezer & made it for lunch - it was great!

Gratuitous Wendy Photos

I've never been a super girly girl. However, my Wendy is showing signs of girly-girlness. Take a look at her...pink footie pajamas, pink Binkie, pink fuzzy Blankie, on a pink Princess couch watching Teletubbies. She knows how to put on bracelets and necklaces, too. And she loves her pink magic wand.









Mmmm....peanut butter sandwich and cold milk.

Huh?

Want some ham with that peanut butter?

A stuck Wendy. I don't know how she got here, but I had to carefully lift her straight up to extricate her.

Wendy and Daddy, reading together.

Wendy, Minuet, and Biggest Bear.

*smooch*

You just have to kiss her sometimes, you know??

100 Posts!

Today is post #100! Today I'm going to share with you 100 things about me, like Tiffany did a few weeks ago. I was going to try to keep these chronological, but there's just no way. I've included a lot of links, but don't feel obligated to link. I just thought the links were interesting.


1. My first name is Jennifer

2. My parents caused me to always have to spell my name, since I go by Jeni - a nickname they picked out.

3. I grew up surrounded by Jennifers, so if someone calls me that, I just don't answer. It's usually not me they're looking for. It's one of the other 20 Jennifers in the room.

4. My middle name is Ann, same as my mother, same as my daughter.

5. I'm not technically an Air Force brat, since my dad didn't enter the service until I was 15 months old. But I consider myself an Air Force brat anyway, since that's how I spent my entire life.

6. I started kindergarten in a DoDDS school in Greece.

7. When I was in kindergarten, I crossed in front of the bus after school and got hit by a motorcycle. I was fine.

8. I hated green beans with a passion as a child. I like them now.

9. I hated sweet potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie as a kid. I still don't like them.

10. I'm a cry-er. And I think it's physically impossible for me to talk when I cry.

11. I have always had bad knees. Not like needs-surgery kind of bad knees, just randomly achy bad knees.

12. I was a National Merit Scholar.

13. I cringed while typing #12, because that sounds so much like bragging.

14. When I was a senior in high school, I broke my right ring finger playing volleyball in P. E. I had to have two surgeries and a few weeks of occupational therapy.

15. I have panic attacks. Usually at random times, about random things.

16. My diet is probably about 2% cat hair, since we have 5 indoor kitties.

17. I didn't get my driver's license until I was almost 19, at the end of my freshman year of college.

18. I went to high school in Anchorage, Alaska, a place I'd love to visit again with James and Wendy - it's the most beautiful place I've ever lived.

19. I spent a semester in London when I was in college. I learned more in that one semester than the other 3 1/2 years put together.

20. I can sightread music fairly well.

21. I'm an alto. But I can sorta sing soprano passingly well if needed.

22. I played piano and trumpet growing up. I haven't picked up a trumpet in over ten years. I can still plink out a tune on the piano.

23. I took 5 years of Spanish in junior high and high school.

24. I tried taking Spanish in college, but it was boring.

25. I've been to Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Greece.

26. I met James at Harding before I started my freshman year.

27. I dated another "James Allen" my first semester.

28. My best friend/suitemate really liked my James.

29. My James asked me out while I was still dating other James, and while my best friend/suitemate still liked him. And I said yes.

30. Aren't I a good friend? Seriously, we had long talks all around, and I think everyone was okay with the situation after that.

31. James and I dated for one semester, then were apart all summer except for one week.

32. We dated long distance while I was in London.

33. I thank God for James encouraging me to go to London - I was ready to stay home, since it meant I'd be apart from him all semester.

34. I got back from London on December 16th, 1997. James proposed on December 17th. I said yes.

35. We got married on August 15th, 1998.

36. I'm not convinced we would've married as virgins had we waited longer to get married. (I know, I know, TMI...)

37. We went to Harding University, in Searcy, Arkansas. I strongly recommend it - it changed my life.

38. We lived in a teeny little apartment when we first got married. Life was simple then.

39. We've lived in six different homes in the 9 years we've been married.

40. I had to decide between pursuing a career as a teacher or as a veterinarian.

41. I chose poorly.

42. After graduating from Harding University with a B. S. in Biology, I started vet school at the University of Missouri, in Columbia, and graduated in 2004 with my DVM.

43. That makes me Dr. Allen. But no one calls me that anymore.

44. My vet school years were very, very difficult.

45. I graduated from vet school at the bottom of my class.

46. Maybe that's what comes of not following the path God sets out for you.

47. I worked for two years as a small animal vet. It was ok. The hours and on-call made it difficult to be the wife I wanted to be, and solidified my desire to be a stay-at-home mom.

48. We decided to start a family in December of '05. Three weeks later, we knew we were pregnant.

49. At my first prenatal visit, when we were 8 weeks pregnant with Wendy, we discovered that I have obstructive fibroids, and would have to have a classical C-section.

50. I was very sick and ended up losing 50 pounds while pregnant with Wendy.

51. I found that 50 pounds (plus some) after Wendy was born.

52. I had gestational diabetes.

53. We kept Wendy's name a secret until just a few days before she was born. We referred to her as "Shanequah" until then.

54. We had a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks, on 9/26/06.

55. The C-section was not a pleasant experience, but I'd go through it again in a heartbeat.

56. Wendy has been my delight, my pride and joy, and also my biggest source of frustration.

57. I am shy.

58. I am lonely.

59. I'm not good at making friends, but dream of a world where I get a couple of phone calls from friends every day, and have more on my social calendar than I can possibly do.

60. I always have great intentions, but rarely (if ever) follow through on them.

61. I am a chocoholic. I know a lot of people like chocolate, but seriously, there are times when I just have to have some chocolate.

62. I will definitely lick the spatula if I'm making cake, brownies, or cookies. (After the dough is put in to bake; I won't inflict my germs on others.) I know full well the dangers of Salmonella, etc., so I abstained while I was pregnant, but at all other times I'm a licker.

63. I love reading. Historical fiction is usually what I like, but I'll read mysteries and romances, too. Not so good with the non-fiction - I can never make it through.

64. Some of my favorite authors are Elizabeth George, Diana Gabaldon, Sara Donati, and, of course, JK Rowling.

65. If I were a teenybopper, I'd totally have a crush on Rupert Grint. Totally.

66. I laugh quite often while watching *ahem* while Wendy is watching Sesame Street.

67. I can quote most of the Princess Bride.

68. I think Dave Barry is hilarious.

69. My mom calls me Imelda sometimes - you guess why...

70. I spend a LOT of time online, reading blogs and contacting people on Facebook.

71. I was in Swing Choir in high school - much singing, dancing, and sequins were involved.

72. We got married shortly after I turned 20. That sounds way too young to get married.

73. My first car was one we bought for $800 the year after we got married. It was an 86 Chevy Cavalier station wagon. It was a good little car, especially for $800.

74. People give us vehicles. The three we currently have were given to us, and we're very grateful!

75. I like doing laundry - except for the folding and putting away. That's where my laundry always gets stalled.

76. I have a very good memory for random facts from long ago, but have a hard time remembering conversations James and I had two days ago.

77. The sight of my Wendy snuggled up in her crib wearing a footie sleeper, with her binkie and her blankie in use, gives me the warm fuzzies.

78. I would love going to Jazzercize.

79. We stayed in a cabin in the Smoky mountains for part of our honeymoon. There were snails in the bathroom.

80. I watched Animaniacs after school when I was in high school.

81. I have a cafe au lait birthmark on my right thigh that looks like Africa.

82. I'm very ticklish on my sides.

83. I'm very ticklish on my feet, too - no pedicures for me!

84. I love Dove shampoo and conditioner, and people tell me my hair smells good when I use it.

85. I love the smell of honeysuckle and lilac.

86. I also like the smell of Bandaids. I know, I'm strange.

87. My favorite color is blue, but I also love purple and pink.

88. I don't like warm colors in most settings.

89. I enjoy doing surgery (but I haven't done it in two years).

90. I'm glad Wendy has blue eyes.

91. I have very thick hair. It makes it difficult to style, because it's so heavy.

92. My favorite scripture is Philippians 4:8.

93. My favorite musical is "Martin Guerre," which I don't think ever came to the states. I saw it 3 times during the semester I was in London.

94. Even though I'm a chocoholic, I love my Grandma's homemade vanilla ice cream. It's fantastic! The only thing that comes close is Blue Bell's homemade vanilla.

95. I would rather get take-out and watch a movie at home than go to a restaurant and the movie theater.

96. I haven't been on a date since before Wendy was born.

97. My hair was very long when I got married - past the bottoms of the pockets of my jeans. It was pretty, but very hard to manage.

98. My favorite flowers are daffodils and daisies.

99. I collected lightning bugs in baby food jars at my grandparents' house when I was little.

100. I'm very thankful for my readers, especially my commenters!

Valentiney Scrappy Giveaway!

Giveaways galore! I came across this great giveaway at Iowa Geek. It's for a big set of scrapbooking/valentine making supplies.

Head on over to enter! Looks like a great prize!

Great giveaway!

There's a great giveaway going on at 5 Minutes for Mom, for an Insignia Bluetooth MP3 player from Best Buy. Head over there to enter!

5 places...

I was tagged by Carrie.

The Rules: Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share (choose 1):
5 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list.
5 things you never pictured being in your future when your were 25 years old.

Tag a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. The tagees have a choice of which they want to do.

I'll post 5 places, since my 100 Things post will be coming soon - stay tuned!

1. London/England in general. I spent a semester there in college, and would LOVE to go back for a few weeks to share with James and Wendy all my favorite things there.

2. Anchorage, Alaska, in the winter. James loves snow. I think Alaska is the most gorgeous winter destination in the world!

3. Anchorage, Alaska, in the summer. It's a totally different place in the summer, and equally gorgeous!

4. Southeast Turkey. James lived in Turkey for 5 years; I'd really like to see in person all the cool sites I've seen pictures of and heard stories about.

5. New Zealand. While we're dreaming, we might as well dream big. I'd love to see New Zealand; all the pictures and travel info I've seen make it look beautiful!

And now I'll tag Tiffany, Sandi, Carrie, Leslie, and Donna!

Expelled

Maybe your knowledge of current events and pop culture is, well, more current than mine. I found this link on It Coulda' Been Worse, and it's very interesting! I had no idea this movie was coming out, and with a science background, I definitely want to see it!

Go here and click to watch the super trailer. It is kinda long, so make sure you've got a few minutes.

Technical question...

Okay, a question for any of you who are good at computer languages and programming and blog stuff.

I've been streamlining my blog. (Haven't noticed? Shame on you. Now look around and compliment me!) I'm trying to figure out how to have my blogroll on a separate page...you know, so you could just click "blogroll" and be taken to a page where all my links are listed, instead of them being right on the front page.

Any ideas??

***Update***
Thanks to my smart friend Tiffany, whose comment made me say, "Well, duh!" I think I have something that will work! Let me know what you think!

Blessings...21-40

I started taking part in the "One Thousand Gifts" list back in December, and I think some of the biggest ones are the ones I listed first, but I've thought of some other biggies. I'll continue this week with 21-40.

21. A God who rejoices with us in good times, and mourns with us in bad times.

22. The hope of heaven that we all have through Jesus Christ.

23. Church families that bond together in hard times and support the hurting.

24. Infant Motrin & Tylenol (Wendy's sick again)

25. Christian women, especially mothers, who blog. They give me so much inspiration!

26. Binkies. We'll have to wean Wendy soon, but not until she feels better!

27. The Blankie. Not much comforts my girlie like her blankie.

28. Washing machines

29. Dishwashers

30. Hot ham & cheese sandwiches :-)

31. Chocolate cake

32. Lost on DVD

33. Snuggly kitties

34. Friends who love the Lord

35. Veggie Tales

36. Casting Crowns - their new CD, The Altar and the Door, has really touched me.

37. OxyClean spray

38. Having a very handy husband (aka my resident engineer!)

39. Shelter when it's cold/hot/snowing/raining/windy

40. Food in my pantry, freezer, & refrigerator, even if it's not what I really want to eat at the time.

Hard Day

Yesterday was a rough day. More than 500 people gathered together in our church building to celebrate and say goodbye to our minister's beloved wife, Evette Allison. There were many tears, hugs, and quite a bit of laughter as well. You can't remember a spunky little thing like Evette without laughing at some of the memories.

There are three things I will cherish from her funeral.

The first was a picture of her with her youngest child, Blake, taken this past fall. They were standing outside, and she was holding him up, cheek to cheek. His little squishy toddler face was grinning, her beautiful face was smiling, and her blonde hair was blowing in the wind. It's a fantastic picture, one that really captures how in love with her children Evette was.

The second is the image of Jason, Evette's husband, sitting on the front row rocking their 8 year old daughter back and forth to the music as the funeral was beginning. Just picturing that now makes me all teary-eyed.

The third is a song that played towards the end of the service. It was a song Jason had sung for Evette, and I think I had heard it was played at their wedding. It was "Would You Go With Me," a song I had not heard before. The lyrics were touching, but at the end of the song, they had recorded the two girls saying, "Bye, Momma. I love you, Momma." Two sweet, pure voices, expressing their love for the Momma they will always miss.

We'll all miss you, Evette. We'll take care of things down here as best we can and help Jason and the kids get through until they see you again.

Works-for-Me Wednesday - Diaper Bag Supplies

Shannon over at Rocks in my Dryer is hosting her weekly "Works for Me Wednesday," in which people share their handy household tips.

Today I'm going to share two of my favorite on-the-go diapering products. The first is something I've only seen at Target. Now, you can get generic bags anywhere, but this is just way cute, and it keeps my girlie distracted while I'm taking care of the diaper business. It's the Diaper Duck, by Munchkin. Basically, this cute little duck stores heavy-duty baby-powder-scented baggies for those toxic diapers you change on the go. This is great for in the car, on trips, or at Grandma's house (where we used two yesterday!). The refills are pretty cheap, too.

The other product I love is my Diapees & Wipees bag. It's just big enough to hold a travel container of wipes, a disposable changing pad, and a couple of diapers. Now, you can buy bags like this at Target and other places, but these are the original and they were invented by a stay-at-home mom. (So the point is, buy one of the originals and support a mom business!) These bags can be ordered in many different fabrics, and they're great for the diaper bag, or even for my big purse if I don't want to lug the whole diaper bag around. I've heard people say that they're also good for keeping different sizes of diapers separate in the diaper bag if you've got more than one munchkin in diapers - sounds like a good idea to me!

Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer for more helpful tips!

My sweet baby...

Church yesterday morning was hard, as was expected. The place was jampacked with crying, hugging people, all not believing that our beloved Evette was gone. The service was not at all a typical service; it was mainly a devotional of prayer and song.

The songs always get me. It wasn't even her memorial service - that's coming up Wednesday - but the songs always break my heart. No Tears In Heaven, Blest Be The Tie That Binds, This World Is Not My Home, etc. It's so hard to sing when you're crying.

At one point, my Wendy was sitting on my left knee, with my left arm around her. I was holding my soggy Kleenex in my right hand, with tears running down my cheeks. My sweet baby turned and looked at me, the took the Kleenex from my hand and dabbed my face with it...

That gets me all choked up again for different reasons. I just love my girl to pieces.

Please continue to pray for Jason, Brette, Sydney, and Blake Allison, as they say goodbye to their wife and mother on Wednesday.

Prayers, please...

I'm in shock.

My world is reeling.

I know it's true, but I have such a hard time believing it.

We got a call this morning that our preacher's wife, Evette Allison, died suddenly at home. Suddenly doesn't begin to describe it. Evette was only 33. She got up in the night to check on their fussy toddler, and stayed in his bed with him. This morning he came toddling out of his room by himself, and his Momma was dead.

Jason, Evette's husband, now not only has to cope with this sudden bereavement, but he has to take care of his three children. An 8 year old girl, a 5 year old girl, and an 18 month old boy.

Please, please, pray for Jason and his children, and for the entire Allison and Lynn families. Our God is great, and he can do great things, even (and sometimes especially) in tragic circumstances.

Bloggy break

Hi! I'm taking a bloggy vacation this weekend, as some of my favorite people in the whole wide world will be visiting. Stay tuned for a recap of the weekend on Monday!

Hi, my name is Jeni, and I'm a blogaholic...

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A fun little project...

I saw this idea on Yankee Misplaced's blog, and thought it was cute. I decided to play along. All it takes is Googling different bits of info and picking a picture to match.

1. My age at my next birthday

2. A place I want to travel

England (Leeds Castle)

3. My favorite place

Alaska

4. My favorite objects

(Not that I would call my cats objects)

5. Favorite food (yum)

6. Favorite color

7. Nickname - "Beeb" -

My parents have always called me that,

and I'm not sure why.

8. My birthplace,

Marietta, Ohio

Backwards Works-For-Me Wednesday

Today at Rocks in my Dryer, Shannon is hosting a "Backwards Works-For-Me Wedneday" carnival. This means that instead of the usual submitting household tip and tricks, we get to ask for help. That's fantastic!

Here's my question for today:

I have rosacea, and nothing I've tried has helped get it under control. Anybody had success with any particular products or routines?

Momma needs earplugs...and some Advil...

Wendy, like every 15-month-old on the planet, enjoys toys with buttons that play music, make animal sounds, say letters, or flash colored lights. I think maybe she's part raccoon.

Anyway, for the longest time, my policy was "no toys that make noise." This was strictly enforced...until she was about 9 months old, and we went to visit a friend that had a giggling turtle toy. Whenever this toy would giggle, Wendy's eyes would get big and she'd look at it in amazement, and she'd just laugh and laugh and laugh. You know, that deep irresistible baby chuckle? That was it.

So when we saw the same toy at Wal-Mart, we just had to get one. Little did I know that I was entering a world full of annoying things. We've got the singing train, the singing snail, the beeping keys, the phone that says, "I love you...mwah!", and the other phone that dials and plays "Old McDonald had a Farm, " interspersed with barks. We've got the Bounce and Spin Zebra, which isn't quite as annoying, except that Wendy will walk by and spin the thingie just to hear the music play.

Any of these toys are not a problem at all in moderation. And there is my big mistake. Why in the world would I think my 15-month-old busy, vibrant, intelligent, dramatic, funny girl would know anything at all about moderation? Instead she picks one of these toys, picks one of the available buttons, and pushes it and pushes it and pushes it and pushespushespushespushes it...until all I can think to say is, "Please, baby, can Momma have that?"

Sigh. I definitely should've stuck to the "no toys that make noise" rule.

Win a Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer!

One of the things I've always wanted for my kitchen is a stand mixer. I've envied those who have them, and diligently placed it on every registry and wish list I've made since I got engaged ten years ago. Guess what?

A Cowboy’s Wife is having a contest on her food blog! You can win a Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer and she’ll ship anywhere so everyone is eligible!
The Prize:

The winner will receive a brand new Hamilton Beach 4.5-qt. Eclectrics Stand Mixer, Pineapple Yellow!!
About the mixer:
From Hamilton Beach’s “Eclectrics” line, this all-metal stand mixer comes with a host of accessories - a Flat Beater for cakes and cookies, a Dough Hook for bread and a Wire Whisk for whipped cream or pudding. The 4.5-qt. stainless steel bowl comes with a Pouring Shield that helps prevent splattering while in operation. The pouring shield has a built-in chute for adding ingredients. Powered by 400 watts, the stand mixer has a two-way mixing action to ensure all ingredients are incorporated into the mix. The quick-release, tilt-up head assists when removing the bowl. 9 x 14 x 14-in. When you’re ready for a kitchen re-do, don’t call in the carpenters! Instead, “counterscape” your kitchen with Hamilton Beach’s retro-designed, affordably priced electrics in happy, sun-saturated colors. Their “Eclectrics” line includes updates to those classic appliances from the 1950s. All of their “Eclectrics” are available in six colors: Apple Green, Moroccan Red, Pineapple Yellow, Intrigue Blue, Sugar White and Licorice Black.

Wholehearted Devotion

Please, schedule 50 minutes of uninterrupted time to listen to this message. Listen with your spouse. Listen with your family. It's something I needed, and I think everyone could benefit from. And have your Bible and a pen & paper handy, if you're the note-taking, scripture-underlining type.



(The link to the actual audio file is toward the bottom of the page, titled "this message by David Platt.")

Planning my week...

This coming weekend, we're hosting a reunion of college friends - my roommate Yavonda, her husband Matt, and our suitemate Tassie, her husband Kevin, and their 6 year old daughter, Jael. This doesn't sound like a lot of people, right? I mean, it's just five folks, and they're only going to be here for two nights.

While I would consider these five people to be among my few favorite people on the planet, adding five to an already full tiny house is a challenge. A challenge that means the 3 Smiths will be sleeping in Wendy's room, the 2 Chases will be sleeping in the living room, and Wendy will be in our room. I'm not even sure that Wendy's Pack & Play will fit in our room. (Have I mentioned our house is tiny?)

(And have I mentioned that the only bathroom in the house is off the master bedroom? As in, guests have to walk through our bedroom to go potty in the middle of the night.)

Anyway, as a result of having guests next weekend, I'm going to be very busy this week, so a little planning is in order!

The recipes with links come from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, a site I heartily recommend. And if you enjoy photography, horses, or country living, check out her blog, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. (And yes, we go over to my parents' house a lot. They like to see Wendy several times a week.)

This week's menu:

Monday: Chicken & rice

Tuesday: Dinner @ Mom & Dad's

Wednesday: Chicken pot pie

Thursday: Dinner @ Mom & Dad's

Friday: Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, steamed broccoli, mocha fudge marble cake, chocolate ice cream

Saturday: Lasagna, salad, garlic bread, Apple Pie, vanilla ice cream

Sunday: Leftovers!

My list for this week is going to be somewhat extensive, due to the impending company. Here goes:

1. Clean kitchen. I mean really clean the kitchen. I know for a fact that my kitchen hasn't been sparkling clean since before Thanksgiving - about time I get to it, eh?

2. Laundry. Clean, fold, & put away all laundry that has been lurking in various baskets and piles. Put away Wendy's outgrown clothes. Put away all give-away clothes.

3. De-fur the house. Vacuum all upholstery, spot clean upholstery, vacuum baseboards & hidden spots. Pause to be thankful that none of my guests are allergic to cats.

4. Figure out better toy storage. Wendy's toy basket was overflowing before Christmas. Now I think it might be taking over the living room. As I type, her basket is piled high, and still on the floor there are her unicorn, her push & spin toy, a baby doll, some puzzles, her princess ball, her See 'n Say, and lots of books. And that's just scratching the surface. (And I must mention - we didn't get her anything for Christmas, and Santa only brought her one toy and snacks for her stocking. The rest of the stuff is from grandparents, primarily from Grammy in FL.)

5. Get mattress pad washed. Someone - you decide who - committed a urinary indiscretion on our bed a few weeks ago. The mattress pad has since been waiting for a trip through one of those super-capacity washers at the laundromat. I just haven't been brave enough to entertain Wendy while sitting in a laundromat waiting on my laundry. But it's GOT to be done.

6. Try to cling to the shreds of my sanity.

Have a great week!

If you don't laugh out loud, you weren't listening.

This is very funny, and I could see my Wendy saying this...




Many thanks to Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer for the link!

Resolutions

I can’t believe it’s taken me SO long to sit down and write out my resolutions for this year. I think when we came back from Florida earlier this week, I basically just shut down, trying to recover. I like to travel, but visiting the in-laws is NOT a relaxing time for me. Add to that the keeping up with a toddler in non-toddler-proof environments, staying up way too late, and the 10 hour trip there and back while keeping said toddler entertained (or at least keeping the screaming to a minimum), and no wonder I’ve been tired!

It’s time to get busy, now, though. I thought I’d begin by working on my resolutions for the new year.

1. Develop and practice more self-control. I am a pushover when it comes to myself. I’ll use just about any excuse to take a nap, eat chocolate, or buy a new pair of shoes…all of which are usually detrimental in the long run. I don’t need new shoes, a nap will only mess up my sleep patterns, and have you seen me lately? I definitely don’t need chocolate.

2. Develop and practice good personal Bible study habits. I am going to start the year going through Lessons I Learned in the Dark, by Jennifer Rothschild. I’m going to do my daily studies when my Girlie takes her morning nap – it’ll be my special time with God.

3. Develop and practice exercise habits. I grew up in a home where nobody exercised, if they could possibly avoid it. Not to say that we were a bunch of couch potatoes, but that daily body maintenance aerobic exercise was missing. I’ve got to exercise for several reasons: to get my weight under control, to help with my depression, to develop more stamina for keeping up with Girlie, to help prevent diabetes (especially since I had gestational diabetes), and to be a good example to my Girlie. I want her to grow up where certain good things are just a natural part of life (exercise, daily Bible study, voluntary helpfulness).

4. Develop and practice healthier eating for my family. Part of my job is seeing to it that my family is fed. Beyond that, it’s my responsibility to see that they are fed well. Not just yummy food, but balanced, healthy, high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar food. Maybe every family is like this, but it seems like our fallbacks are carbohydrates in various forms, and meat in various forms. We like fruits & veggies, we just never seem to have them – it’s my job to fix that!

5. WORK. I have let myself jump into a pit of rationalization. Dishes piling up? My head hurts, so I’m just going to rest for a little while, then get to them before I make dinner. Laundry waiting to be folded? I’m going to wait until the next load gets out of the dryer, and then fold it all at once. Baby wanting attention? (this one breaks my heart, when I’m honest with myself) Let me just finish this one chapter, this one blog I’m reading, this one superficial thing that doesn’t matter, before I tend to the child of my heart. Yikes. I am so over myself. (That’s why 1-4 say develop and practice these things – I’m really, really going to do it!)

I’m hoping that by posting these resolutions, I’ll feel a bit more accountable. Friends, please help me stay accountable, as I try to shape myself into the woman God wants me to be.

And have a good day! :-)

East to West

I was driving to Wal-Mart the other day, in a fairly cranky mood (am I the only one that gets cranky from going to Wal-Mart?) and my new Casting Crowns CD was playing. I had heard several of the songs before, from my WOW 2007 CD, but listening to them by myself in the car was somehow different. I felt the music surround me, and this particular song, East to West, really spoke to my heart.

The thing that stood out to me about this song is the truth of forgiveness. Those sins that I committed, then repented and asked forgiveness for, are GONE. Even though Satan tries to keep bringing them up in my mind, especially when I'm at low points, they have no meaning. Jesus has taken my sin, my own dirty, despicable, messy sin, and taken it on Himself, and it is GONE. That gives me the permission - the responsibility - to move on and not dwell on it any more. Sure, I need to learn from my sin, and believe me, I have. But to dwell on past sin that God has forgiven - isn't that a little ungrateful?

God sent his only Son for me - and you - to take all of our sins away...forever. As far as the east is from the west...

WFMW - Drafty Windows

Brrr. I'll say it again, Brrr. We were visiting family in Florida last week, and were laughing about the Floridians thinking 60 degrees was chilly. You should've seen them, in their sweaters and coats. Then we got home to Tennessee, and we've basically had a snowless blizzard - very high winds, and very cold temperatures. I think the high today is in the 20s, and the low tonight closer to 10. Brrr.

Our house was built in 1940 and has the original windows. I'm sure they keep some air out, but I think when it's really windy and cold all they do is slow down the wind just a bit. The obvious solution is to have the windows replaced - and if you give me $15,000, I'll happily do that. In the meantime, we've got to do something, as our furnace can only get the house up to 61 or so.

What we've been working on today has already helped quite a bit. We've taken old towels and baby blankets, rolled them up into tight sausages, and stuffed them in the crack between the upper and lower pane. This pretty effectively blocks the whistling drafts and therefore keeps our heat in, instead of being sucked out as fast as the furnace pumps it out.

This solution is probably pretty obvious to some of you, but it works for me! Head over to Shannon's page at Rocks in my Dryer for more hints!

Wendy was tagged!

My girlie was tagged by our friend, Todd, to write 8 things about herself. I'll do the translating and typing.

1. My name is Wendy, and I'm 15 months old.

2. I like bread. And cookies. And fruit snacks. And crackers. And milk. And everything else.

3. I'm a tall girl - 90th %ile for height, and only 49th for weight. My mommy says I get the tall, skinny shape from Daddy.

4. I cut my first two molars last week, and the next two are trying to cut, so my mouth hurts.

5. I can say lots of things (Hi, Bye, Dada, Pretty, Thank You, You're Welcome, Kitty, Doggie, See Ya, Love You) but have yet to say "Mama." I'm making Mama wait.

6. I love to climb anything and everything. Sometimes it gets me in trouble.

7. I love my pink and fuzzy blankie. It goes almost everywhere with me, and I can't sleep without it.

8. I act shy around new people, but after I warm up, I'll play with just about anyone. (Unless you're a man with a beard, and then I don't trust you.)

Wendy will tag Chase, Caden, Ben, and Colin!